Abstract
In the recent rise of metal-free polymerization techniques, organic phosphazene superbases have shown their remarkable strength as promoter/catalyst for the anionic polymerization of various types of monomers. Generally, the complexation of phosphazene base with the counterion (proton or lithium cation) significantly improves the nucleophilicity of the initiator/chain end resulting in highly enhanced polymerization rates, as compared with conventional metal-based initiating systems. In this chapter, the general features of phosphazene-promoted/catalyzed polymerizations and the applications in macromolecular engineering (synthesis of functionalized polymers, block copolymers, and macromolecular architectures) are discussed with challenges and perspectives being pointed out.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Kamber NE, Jeong W, Waymouth RM, Pratt RC, Lohmeijer BGG, Hedrick JL (2007) Organocatalytic ring-opening polymerization. Chem Rev 107:5813–5840
Kiesewetter MK, Shin EJ, Hedrick JL, Waymouth RM (2010) Organocatalysis: opportunities and challenges for polymer synthesis. Macromolecules 43:2093–2107
Dove AP (2012) Organic catalysis for ring-opening polymerization. ACS Macro Lett 1:1409–1412
Boileau S, Illy N (2011) Activation in anionic polymerization: why phosphazene bases are very exciting promoters. Prog Polym Sci 36:1132–1151
Schwesinger R, Schlemper H (1987) Peralkylated polyaminophosphazenes – extremely strong, neutral nitrogen bases. Angew Chem Int Ed 26:1167–1169
Schwesinger R, Link R, Wenzl P, Kossek S, Keller M (2006) Extremely base-resistant organic phosphazenium cations. Chem Eur J 12:429–437
Eßwein B, Molenberg A, Möller M (1996) Use of polyiminophosphazene bases for ring-opening polymerizations. Macromol Symp 107:331–340
Eßwein B, Steidl NM, Möller M (1996) Anionic polymerization of oxirane in the presence of the polyiminophosphazene base t-Bu-P4. Macromol Rapid Commun 17:143–148
Misaka H, Sakai R, Satoh T, Kakuchi T (2011) Synthesis of high molecular weight and end-functionalized poly(styrene oxide) by living ring-opening polymerization of styrene oxide using the alcohol/phosphazene base initiating system. Macromolecules 44:9099–9107
Kwon W, Rho Y, Kamoshida K, Kwon KH, Jeong YC, Kim J, Misaka H, Shin TJ, Kim J, Kim K-W, Jin KS, Chang T, Kim H, Satoh T, Kakuchi T, Ree M (2012) Well-defined functional linear aliphatic diblock copolyethers: a versatile linear aliphatic polyether platform for selective functionalizations and various nanostructures. Adv Funct Mater 22:5194–5208
Misaka H, Tamura E, Makiguchi K, Kamoshida K, Sakai R, Satoh T, Kakuchi T (2012) Synthesis of end-functionalized polyethers by phosphazene base-catalyzed ring-opening polymerization of 1,2-butylene oxide and glycidyl ether. J Polym Sci Part A Polym Chem 50:1941–1952
Eßwein B, Möller M (1996) Polymerisation von ethylenoxid mit alkyllithiumverbindungen und der phosphazenbase “tBu-P4”. Angew Chem 108:703–705
Zhao J, Pahovnik D, Gnanou Y, Hadjichristidis N (2014) Phosphazene-promoted metal-free ring-opening polymerization of ethylene oxide initiated by carboxylic acid. Macromolecules 47:1693–1698
Molenberg A, Möller M (1995) A fast catalyst system for the ring-opening polymerization of cyclosiloxanes. Macromol Rapid Commun 16:449–453
Van Dyke ME, Clarson SJ (1998) Reaction kinetics for the anionic ring-opening polymerization of tetraphenyltetramethylcyclotetrasiloxane using a fast initiator system. J Inorg Organomet Polym 8:111–117
Hupfield PC, Taylor RG (1999) Ring-opening polymerization of siloxanes using phosphazene base catalysts. J Inorg Organomet Polym 9:17–34
Grzelka A, Chojnowski J, Fortuniak W, Taylor RG, Hupfield PC (2004) Kinetics of the anionic ring opening polymerization of cyclosiloxanes initiated with a superbase. J Inorg Organomet Polym 14:85–99
Pibre G, Chaumont P, Fleury E, Cassagnau P (2008) Ring-opening polymerization of decamethylcyclopentasiloxane initiated by a superbase: kinetics and rheology. Polymer 49:234–240
Memeger W, Campbell GC, Davidson F (1996) Poly(aminophosphazene)s and protophosphatranes mimic classical strong anionic base catalysts in the anionic ring-opening polymerization of lactams. Macromolecules 29:6475–6480
Yang H, Zhao J, Yan M, Pispas S, Zhang G (2011) Nylon 3 synthesized by ring opening polymerization with a metal-free catalyst. Polym Chem 2:2888–2892
Illy N, Boileau S, Penelle J, Barbier V (2009) Metal-free activation in the anionic ring-opening polymerization of cyclopropane derivatives. Macromol Rapid Commun 30:1731–1735
Illy N, Boileau S, Buchmann W, Penelle J, Barbier V (2010) Control of end groups in anionic polymerizations using phosphazene bases and protic precursors as initiating system (XH-ButP4 approach): application to the ring-opening polymerization of cyclopropane-1,1-dicarboxylates. Macromolecules 43:8782–8789
Illy N, Boileau S, Winnik MA, Penelle J, Barbier V (2012) Thiol-ene “clickable” carbon-chain polymers based on diallyl cyclopropane-1,1-dicarboxylate. Polymer 53:903–912
Zhang L, Nederberg F, Messman JM, Pratt RC, Hedrick JL, Wade CG (2007) Organocatalytic stereoselective ring-opening polymerization of lactide with dimeric phosphazene bases. J Am Chem Soc 129:12610–12611
Zhang L, Nederberg F, Pratt RC, Waymouth RM, Hedrick JL, Wade CG (2007) Phosphazene bases: a new category of organocatalysts for the living ring-opening polymerization of cyclic esters. Macromolecules 40:4154–4158
De Winter J, Coulembier O, Gerbaux P, Dubois P (2010) High molecular weight poly(α, α', β-trisubstituted β-lactones) as generated by metal-free phosphazene catalysts. Macromolecules 43:10291–10296
Jaffredo CG, Carpentier J-F, Guillaume SM (2012) Controlled rop of β-butyrolactone simply mediated by amidine, guanidine, and phosphazene organocatalysts. Macromol Rapid Commun 33:1938–1944
Yang H, Xu J, Pispas S, Zhang G (2012) Hybrid copolymerization of ε-caprolactone and methyl methacrylate. Macromolecules 45:3312–3317
Helou M, Miserque O, Brusson J-M, Carpentier J-F, Guillaume SM (2010) Organocatalysts for the controlled “immortal” ring-opening polymerization of six-membered-ring cyclic carbonates: a metal-free, green process. Chem Eur J 16:13805–13813
Brignou P, Priebe Gil M, Casagrande O, J-Fo C, Guillaume SM (2010) Polycarbonates derived from green acids: ring-opening polymerization of seven-membered cyclic carbonates. Macromolecules 43:8007–8017
Yang H, Yan M, Pispas S, Zhang G (2011) Synthesis of poly (ethylene carbonate)-co-(ethylene oxide) copolymer by phosphazene-catalyzed ROP. Macromol Chem Phys 212:2589–2593
Pietzonka T, Seebach D (1993) The P4-phosphazene base as part of a new metal-free initiator system for the anionic polymerization of methyl methacrylate. Angew Chem Int Ed 32:716–717
Börner HG, Heitz W (1998) Anionic polymerization of butyl acrylate with metal free initiator systems containing [1-tert-butyl-4,4,4-tris(dimethylamino)-2,2-bis[tris(dimethylamino)-phosphor-anylidenamino]-2λ5, 4λ5-catenadi(phosphazene)] base (P4-tert-butyl-phosphazene base). Macromol Chem Phys 199:1815–1820
Baskaran D, Müller AHE (2000) Anionic polymerization of methyl methacrylate using tetrakis tris(dimethyl amino)phosphoranylidenamino phosphonium (P5 +) as counterion in tetrahydrofuran. Macromol Rapid Commun 21:390–395
Chen Y, Fuchise K, Narumi A, Kawaguchi S, Satoh T, Kakuchi T (2011) Core-first synthesis of three-, four-, and six-armed star-shaped poly(methyl methacrylate)s by group transfer polymerization using phosphazene base. Macromolecules 44:9091–9098
Kakuchi T, Chen Y, Kitakado J, Mori K, Fuchise K, Satoh T (2011) Organic superbase as an efficient catalyst for group transfer polymerization of methyl methacrylate. Macromolecules 44:4641–4647
Förster S, Krämer E (1999) Synthesis of PB − PEO and PI − PEO block copolymers with alkyllithium initiators and the phosphazene base t-BuP4. Macromolecules 32:2783–2785
Schlaad H, Kukula H, Rudloff J, Below I (2001) Synthesis of α, ω-heterobifunctional poly (ethylene glycol)s by metal-free anionic ring-opening polymerization. Macromolecules 34:4302–4304
Zhao J, Schlaad H, Weidner S, Antonietti M (2012) Synthesis of terpene-poly(ethylene oxide)s by t-BuP4-promoted anionic ring-opening polymerization. Polym Chem 3:1763–1768
Zhao J, Mountrichas G, Zhang G, Pispas S (2009) Amphiphilic polystyrene-b-poly(p-hydroxystyrene-g-ethylene oxide) block-graft copolymers via a combination of conventional and metal-free anionic polymerization. Macromolecules 42:8661–8668
Zhao J, Mountrichas G, Zhang G, Pispas S (2010) Thermoresponsive core-shell brush copolymers with poly(propylene oxide)-block-poly(ethylene oxide) side chains via a “grafting from” technique. Macromolecules 43:1771–1777
Zhao J, Zhang G, Pispas S (2010) Thermoresponsive brush copolymers with poly(propylene oxide-ran-ethylene oxide) side chains via metal-free anionic polymerization “grafting from” technique. J Polym Sci Part A Polym Chem 48:2320–2328
Zhao J, Schlaad H (2011) Controlled anionic graft polymerization of ethylene oxide directly from poly(N-isopropylacrylamide). Macromolecules 44:5861–5864
Tanaka Y, Arakawa M, Yamaguchi Y, Hori C, Ueno M, Tanaka T et al (2006) NMR spectroscopic observation of a metal-free acetylide anion. Chem Asian J 1:581–585
Kaljurand I, Kutt A, Soovali L, Rodima T, Maemets V, Leito I, Koppel IA (2005) Extension of the self-consistent spectrophotometric basicity scale in acetonitrile to a full span of 28 pKa units: unification of different basicity scales. J Org Chem 70:1019–1028
Rexin O, Mülhaupt R (2002) Anionic ring-opening polymerization of propylene oxide in the presence of phosphonium catalysts. J Polym Sci Part A Polym Chem 40:864–873
Thomas A, Schlaad H, Smarsly B, Antonietti M (2003) Replication of lyotropic block copolymer mesophases into porous silica by nanocasting: learning about finer details of polymer self-assembly. Langmuir 19:4455–4459
Groenewolt M, Brezesinski T, Schlaad H, Antonietti M, Groh PW, Iván B (2005) Polyisobutylene-block-poly(ethylene oxide) for robust templating of highly ordered mesoporous materials. Adv Mater 17:1158–1162
Leito I, Rodima T, Koppel IA, Schwesinger R, Vlasov VM (1997) Acid-base equilibria in nonpolar media. 1. a spectrophotometric method for acidity measurements in heptane. J Org Chem 62:8479–8483
Hinman JG, Lough AJ, Morris RH (2007) Properties of the polyhydride anions [WH5(PMe2Ph)3]− and [ReH4(PMePh2)3 − and periodic trends in the acidity of polyhydride complexes. Inorg Chem 46:4392–4401
Zhao J, Pahovnik D, Gnanou Y, Hadjichristidis N (2014) Sequential polymerization of ethylene oxide, ε-caprolactone and L-lactide: a one-pot metal-free route to tri- and pentablock terpolymers. Polym Chem 5:3750–3753
Cai G, Weber WP (2002) Synthesis and chemical modification of poly(divinylsiloxane). Polymer 43:1753–1759
Teng CJ, Weber WP, Cai G (2003) Anionic and cationic ring-opening polymerization of 2,2,4,4,6,6-hexamethyl-8,8-divinylcyclotetrasiloxane. Macromolecules 36:5126–5130
Teng CJ, Weber WP, Cai G (2003) Acid and base catalyzed ring-opening polymerization of 2,2,4,4,6,6-hexamethyl-8,8-diphenylcyclotetrasiloxane. Polymer 44:4149–4155
Schacher F, Müllner M, Schmalz H, Müller AHE (2009) New block copolymers with poly(N, N-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) as a double stimuli-responsive block. Macromol Chem Phys 210:256–262
Esswein B, Möller M (1996) Polymerization of ethylene oxide with alkyllithium compounds and the phosphazene base “tBu-P4”. Angew Chem Int Ed 35:623–625
Schmalz H, Lanzendörfer MG, Abetz V, Müller AHE (2003) Anionic polymerization of ethylene oxide in the presence of the phosphazene base ButP4 – kinetic investigations using in-situ FT-NIR spectroscopy and MALDI-TOF MS. Macromol Chem Phys 204:1056–1071
Floudas G, Vazaiou B, Schipper F, Ulrich R, Wiesner U, Iatrou H, Hadjichristidis N (2001) Poly(ethylene oxide-b-isoprene) diblock copolymer phase diagram. Macromolecules 34:2947–2957
Pispas S (2006) Double hydrophilic block copolymers of sodium(2-sulfamate-3-carboxylate)isoprene and ethylene oxide. J Polym Sci Part A Polym Chem 44:606–613
Schmalz H, Knoll A, Müller AJ, Abetz V (2002) Synthesis and characterization of ABC triblock copolymers with two different crystalline end blocks: influence of confinement on crystallization behavior and morphology. Macromolecules 35:10004–10013
Toy AA, Reinicke S, Müller AHE, Schmalz H (2007) One-pot synthesis of polyglycidol-containing block copolymers with alkyllithium initiators using the phosphazene base t-BuP4. Macromolecules 40:5241–5244
Reinicke S, Schmelz J, Lapp A, Karg M, Hellweg T, Schmalz H (2009) Smart hydrogels based on double responsive triblock terpolymers. Soft Matter 5:2648–2657
Hans M, Keul H, Moeller M (2009) Chain transfer reactions limit the molecular weight of polyglycidol prepared via alkali metal based initiating systems. Polymer 50:1103–1108
Molenberg A, Möller M (1997) Polymerization of cyclotrisiloxanes by organolithium compounds and P2-Et base. Macromol Chem Phys 198:717–726
Kaljurand I, Rodima T, Leito I, Koppel IA, Schwesinger R (2000) Self-consistent spectrophotometric basicity scale in acetonitrile covering the range between pyridine and DBU. J Org Chem 65:6202–6208
Grzelka A, Chojnowski J, Cypryk M, Fortuniak W, Hupfield PC, Taylor RG (2002) Polycondensation and disproportionation of an oligosiloxanol in the presence of a superbase. J Organomet Chem 660:14–26
Ishio M, Katsube M, Ouchi M, Sawamoto M, Inoue Y (2009) Active, versatile, and removable iron catalysts with phosphazenium salts for living radical polymerization of methacrylates. Macromolecules 42:188–193
Miyamoto N, Inoue Y, Koizumi S, Hashimoto T (2007) Living anionic polymerization of methyl methacrylate controlled by metal-free phosphazene catalyst as observed by small-angle neutron scattering, gel-permeation chromatography and UV-visible spectroscopy. J Appl Crystallogr 40:S568–S572
Brocas A-L, Deffieux A, Le Malicot N, Carlotti S (2012) Combination of phosphazene base and triisobutylaluminum for the rapid synthesis of polyhydroxy telechelic poly(propylene oxide). Polym Chem 3:1189–1195
Zhao J, Jeromenok J, Weber J, Schlaad H (2012) Thermoresponsive aggregation behavior of triterpene–poly(ethylene oxide) conjugates in water. Macromol Biosci 12:1272–1278
Siebert M, Keul H, Möller M (2010) Synthesis of well-defined polystyrene-block-polyglycidol (PS-b-PG) block co-polymers by anionic polymerization. Des Monomers Polym 13:547–563
Zhao J, Alamri H, Hadjichristidis N (2013) A facile metal-free “grafting-from” route from acrylamide-based substrate toward complex macromolecular combs. Chem Commun 49:7079–7081
Isono T, Kamoshida K, Satoh Y, Takaoka T, S-i S, Satoh T, Kakuchi T (2013) Synthesis of star- and figure-eight-shaped polyethers by t-Bu-P4-catalyzed ring-opening polymerization of butylene oxide. Macromolecules 46:3841–3849
Vasilenko NG, Rebrov EA, Muzafarov AM, Eßwein B, Striegel B, Möller M (1998) Preparation of multi-arm star polymers with polylithiated carbosilane dendrimers. Macromol Chem Phys 199:889–895
Paulasaari JK, Weber WP (2000) Synthesis of hyperbranched polysiloxanes by base-catalyzed proton-transfer polymerization. Comparison of hyperbranched polymer microstructure and properties to those of linear analogues prepared by cationic or anionic ring-opening polymerization. Macromolecules 33:2005–2010
Paulasaari JK, Weber WP (2000) Base catalyzed proton transfer polymerization of 1-hydroxypentamethylcyclotrisiloxane. Comparison of hyperbranched polymer microstructure and properties to those of highly regular linear analogs. Macromol Chem Phys 201:1585–1592
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Abbreviations
Abbreviations
- BEMP:
-
2-tert-Butylimino-2-diethylamino-1,3-dimethylperhydro-1,3,2-diazaphosphorine
- t-BuP1 :
-
tert-Butylimino-tris(dimethylamino)phosphorane
- t-BuP2 :
-
1-tert-Butyl-2,2,4,4,4-pentakis(dimethylamino)-2λ5,4λ5-catenadi(phosphazene)
- t-BuP4 :
-
1-tert-Butyl-4,4,4-tris(dimethylamino)-2,2-bis[tris(dimethylamino)phosphoranylidenamino]-2λ5,4λ5-catenadi(phosphazene)
- EtP2 :
-
1-Ethyl-2,2,4,4,4-pentakis(dimethylamino)-2λ5,4λ5-catenadi(phosphazene)
- D3 :
-
Hexamethylcyclotrisiloxane
- D4 :
-
Octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane
- D5 :
-
Decamethylcyclopentasiloxane
- t-OctP1 :
-
tert-Octylimino-tris(dimethylamino)phosphorane
- t-OctP4 :
-
1-tert-Octyl-4,4,4-tris(dimethylamino)-2,2-bis[tris(dimethylamino)phosphoranylidenamino]-2λ5,4λ5-catenadi(phosphazene)
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2015 Springer Japan
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Zhao, J., Hadjichristidis, N., Schlaad, H. (2015). Polymerization Using Phosphazene Bases. In: Hadjichristidis, N., Hirao, A. (eds) Anionic Polymerization. Springer, Tokyo. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-4-431-54186-8_9
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-4-431-54186-8_9
Publisher Name: Springer, Tokyo
Print ISBN: 978-4-431-54185-1
Online ISBN: 978-4-431-54186-8
eBook Packages: Chemistry and Materials ScienceChemistry and Material Science (R0)